Cocoa Chipotle Beef Burrito Bowls

I’m a few days behind on posting this recipe- which is truly indicative of how nuts last week was. Ugh. So glad that my meal plan was prepared for that, even when I wasn’t. Last Saturday night I put on a crockpot of cumin-spiced pinto beans, and on Sunday, slow cooked the chipotle shredded beef. I’m completely new to beans- they honestly frightened me until about a year ago, and I still have some difficulty with the texture at times. These pinto beans were stellar- so tender and flavorful, and easy. I followed Kasee’s recipe over at theaprongal to the letter and was not one bit disappointed. Definitely going to keep that one close by! The chipotle shredded beef (aka The Beef) is a recipe of my own that has been evolving for a long time now. For its latest mutation, I have added a generous amount of cocoa powder to the rub to add depth and complexity to the flavor. Both The Beef and the beans made multiple appearances throughout the week at dinnertime, including Kimchi Nachos, and having those two items ready to go allowed me to hit Netflix really hard. I started Friday Night Lights last week and I’m not looking back. Nope.

I’ve been a bit obsessed with burrito bowls over the last few months. They can be as heavy or as light or as seasonal or as whatever as you’d like- you can really go for it with customizing, and they always end up fantastic. This bowl was extra hearty and big on protein- which is exactly the kind of fuel needed to maintain stamina during a strenuous evening of Friday Night Lights on the sofa, in jim-jams.